Every year during February, ArtForms Artists Association organizes and produces For the Love of Art Month, coordinating with art galleries, artist studios, and art spaces throughout town in a celebration of the Arts. Many galleries, studios, and art spaces participate in this annual event, with special exhibits, reflecting the vibrancy, diversity, history, and culture of art in Southern New Mexico. Anybody can engage and surprises await around every corner.
For the Love of Art Month Exhibitions and studio tours
In 2025, the ArtForms members’ exhibit, Spirit of the Southwest, takes place at Gallery 925, 925 N. Mesquite St., and Duende Gallery, 921 N. Mesquite St. See the work of over 40 member artists in these exhibitions that are on display through February. The formal reception will occur on the first Friday, February 7, 2025, from 4 to 8 pm.
Studio Tours take place throughout the area at the places where artists work or where their art is displayed. These tours are a great opportunity to meet artists, talk about their work, and make your purchase directly from them. Studio tours are on Saturdays and Sundays in February, with artists selecting the dates that work best for them. A full schedule of all locations is online and in the printed For the Love of Art Month guide. Look for the blue flags marking each location when you’re driving around visiting studios.
For the Love of Art Month events
Visit the Las Cruces Museum of Art, 491 N. Main St., to see Engaging the Masters: Parody Art, from the Collection of David Lyman and Christopher Alexander. This exhibition, on display through from February 7 to May 3, 2025, showcases the work of over thirty modern artists who reimagine the art of renowned master artists.
The New Mexico Watercolor Society Southern Chapter has their For the Love of Art Exhibit on display at Frame and Art Center, 1100 S. Main Street.
Mas Art at 144 Wyatt Dr. is showing works by the owners, Curtis and Tiffany Bristol, from February 7 to 28. Curtis is a watercolor artist and Tiffany is a photographer.
Stop by Agave Artists, a cooperative gallery, Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to see the work of 16 local artists.
Each year, Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery hosts a fun art game with a nice prize: a $250 gallery gift certificate. Stop by to play “Mini Masterpiece” and match works with the style of the famous artist each is replicating. The open house is Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is open daily from 10 to 5 p.m. and is located at 2470-A Calle de Guadalupe in historic old Mesilla, across from the Fountain Theatre.
This is just a handful of the events taking place throughout the city. When it comes to the arts, Las Cruces may not have the clout and financial backing of Santa Fe or Taos, but the artists who live and work here take their art just as seriously as those living in northern art meccas.
From traditional mediums to cutting edge experimentations, the full array of works falling under the umbrella term “art” are explored and presented, making it a unique experience for art collectors, patrons, and everyday folk with an interest in creative expression. To find out who else is involved, check out the ArtForms Facebook page.
Posted by LasCruces.com
